Outlast: The Paradise Edition Episode One
The camera opens up on a relatively small mini-bus that holds it's full capacity, people of all ages, shapes and sizes are sat within, silent and observant of their surroundings. The sun was a radiant, all-watching eye, its light creeping into every corner, bathing the whole world in a warm glow. The bus cruised down a twisting road, grassy, forest green hills looming over the mountainous drive. An endless expanse of turquoise wonder, shimmering a liquid gold, stretched towards the distant horizon. The bushes and trees of low growth had disappeared, to make room for gigantic mahogany trees, century old cork trees, and the acajou, whose sombre branches formed a vaulted roof of green eighty feet above the bus' head. The path had grown wider, and stretched, in a gentle incline, towards a hillock of moderate height, entirely free from trees. All the trees were tightly-knit, just one strand in a massive web of life. Green leaves, yellow leaves, red leaves. It was a rainbow of rich, autumnal colours. The scent of earth and water drifted through the air. It was a picture of serenity, one which would endure for many long years. It comes to a slow stop, allowing the group of twelve passengers to have a look at the lake district - the view itself of the entire landscape was breathtaking. A gorge stood evident down the middle of the location. A beautiful woman of African descent stands in front of the bus, looking out at the Lake District just as the entire group do. It shows a rope of jewels that spread out in the distance, purple, sapphire blue, yellow and pinkish white, a rich and variegated wooded land and disappearing, reappearing, ubiquitous water. "In favourable conditions nature is a blessed mother. When she does our bidding she is glorious and we soak her in like a drug. We bask in the new greenness of spring, the heat of a sultry summer and the brilliant shades of fall. Yet when she blows a hurricane, sends a tsunami or shakes the ground she is cruel. But perhaps what we like least is the reminder that nature is not there for us, the world is not a gift to humanity. We are creatures of nature, just the same as any other, only with a few more toys and a bigger ego..." She reads something of a monologue watching as clouds in the sky swirl together, the wind itself becoming increasingly violent which forces her to speak in a relatively loud manor. The storm broke. The rain fell like an ocean thrown from the sky. It crashed into the already-destroyed village, splattered off the cobblestone paths, and formed instant rivers that raced along the dips in the ground. The wind doesn't howl, it screams. The rain doesn't fall it is driven, hard, merciless, torrential. The trees do not sway, they creak, bend and moan as their fine limbs are ripped away and their autumnal leaves become not confetti, but ammunition in the gale. The camera slowly pans as the violent tempest conjures, the woman stood in front of the bus is shown on screen. She was mid-20s and had dreadlocks that swung down below her right shoulder. Her make-up was pristine, looking flawless for the viewers, "Welcome to England, I'm your host Meg McLeod presenting to you... Outlast... The Paradise Edition!" Her voice echoes as a large crack of lightning is heard, allowing a transition between the recorded footage and the opening. Introduction "Welcome back to Outlast... The Paradise Edition!" Meg announces as the camera switches between head-shots of the teenage passengers on board the bus. "We're on our way to the airport so that we can actually set off to our filming destination of the prestigious and utterly gorgeous national park, Jiuzhaigou Valley, which is located in China!" She says enthusiastically before the camera removes it's attention off of her and onto some of the passengers on the first row of seats. "...Wait you're that princess from the news a while ago right? Why are you on Outlast if you're famous?" An Korean girl asks, she is sat wearing blue denim shorts, a white crop top with black tie dye imprints and white sneakers. She has her chestnut-coloured hair down and has a headband that crosses her forehead. She is shown looking at a relatively large white girl who sits in the seat beside her, she is wearing a pink blouse and black suit trousers and black heels - she also has a fake tiara on her head with her blonde hair in bun. "I wouldn't say I'm famous... More like an ordinary girl who ruined her fifteen seconds of fame and then went under the radar for a while. I mean, I know I'm royalty and so does my mother, but she can't face the facts and admit that, because it would be shameful. I'm not bothered though, I know my roots and that's that. My name is Jacquelyn by the way." Jacquelyn says, shaking hands with the girl next to her. "And I'm Soleil! It's nice to meet you!" Soleil replies with a smile before they both go silent, looking at the camera as it switches to another row, Soleil and Jacquelyn begin to converse once again when the camera isn't on them, as it can be seen in the background. Next up on screen is a young teenage boy who is clad in a large black robe with the hood hanging on top of the boy's jet black hair, he also has socks and sandals on as well as a home-made staff in hand. The guy besides him is sat staring out of the window, ignoring everything he is saying. He is sat wearing a black and grey baseball tee, khaki shorts and grey flat shoes. "I am a master of the dark arts, devoted to furthering my understanding and use of shadow and fire based magic along with summoning demons from the Twisting Nether!" Fritz cries out, articulating his hands in many directions as he speaks, "What's your name?" He asks the boy next to him, who finally turns his attention from the constant stream of trees through the glass window. "Wallace... My name is Wallace. Now please, stop talking to me, I have no clue what you're talking about and quite frankly, I couldn't care less." Wallace says as Fritz turns silent in response to his request. "I think you should come sit with me Mr cameraman!" A little girl screeches as she leans over the top of the chairs which Fritz and Wallace occupy. She tugs on the lens, urging the cameraman to come closer to her row behind the boys. When she releases her grip, the third row holds four girls. The first girl has ginger hair which is braided down one side so the rest of her loose hair hangs down on shoulder, she has a black sports bra on underneath a lilac coloured baggy vest. She also has ripped, skin tight, leather jeans and heeled boots on. The girl sat next to her is relatively large in size and has a black, shaved bangs hairstyle. She is shown wearing a red t-shirt and black leggings with matching red sandals. The final girl on the end of the row is young in comparison to the others shown thus far, she sits in a yellow floral summer dress with layered yellow leggings underneath and beige ankle boots. "Hi, I'm Gigi!" The young girl giggles at the camera, the two girls beside her simultaneously gush over her reaction towards the camera, "These are my new friends, Lana and Erika!" She says enthusiastically, ushering the camera towards the two women sat beside her. "As I was saying, yeah, I'm from Lake Placid in New York. I came to the UK to see if I could make my worth here." Lana finishes up a previously unheard sentence. "Preach girl! I came to the UK from Bedford-Stuyvesant in search of a better life for myself after my parents died. We lived in the ghetto you see, so I used the money I inherited to buy a plane ticket out of the country and I now live in the east end of London with my boyfriend and son." Erika says, "I sure do hope we get to work with one another during the game itself, I'd love to!" She curls a strand of hair with her finger before diverting her attention back to the young girl. The camera then moves back another row, this time, two boys and a girl are sat on it. The first guy is very muscular, clad in a grey vest, blue varsity jacket and training shorts. He has fair blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl in the middle of the two has a large afro, wearing a white vest under a floral shawl with a black background. On the lower half of her body she is wearing black denim shorts and Oxford heels. The boy on the end is wearing a tracksuit with matching trainers and a snap-back which covers his dark brown hair, he is talking to the girl besides him, deep in conversation. "So... What was your initial reaction when getting the call about becoming a cast member on the show?" Ramsay asks politely, watching him as he comes up with an answer, "I can remember that I actually cried out of excitement." "I was more worried about leaving my mum behind, you get me?" Ajax replies, inserting a rhetorical question on the end of his answer. The muscular guy besides them intrudes on the conversation with his two cents worth. "Well I was in the gym, you know, working out on my biceps." Benedict winks at Ramsay who stares at him bewildered, he flexes in an attempt to swoon her, ultimately failing. "Is this seat empty?" He asks, pointing to the seat besides her. "Yes, and this one will be if you sit down." Ramsay responds, continuing her private conversation with Ajax. Benedict leans back into his seat, staring out of the window, watching the repetitive shade of green whiz past the glass pane. The camera quickly switches to the final row which has seated, a man and relatively young male teen. The older male is shown in denim dungarees with an orange cap and an unwashed shirt riddled with grease stains and sweat patches. The younger male is more refined and upper-class in comparison, wearing a shirt with rolled-up sleeves and braces as well as skinny fit suit trousers and black Oxfords. He also has an anarchy symbol attached to a silver chain that hangs around his neck, as well as a buzzcut hairstyle. "Hey kid, look at all them pigeons doing that weird pattern there." The guy had an American accent, it was evident that he was Texan. "Why are they doing that?" He asks idiotically. "They're not pigeons, moron." The teen says, removing his attention from the book he has in hand, "They're starlings and it's called a formation not pattern, seriously, did you ever get an education?" He asks rhetorically, continuing reading the book he has which was entitled the 'Necronomicon Ex Mortis'. "I don't think they teach that sort of stuff in school kid... My names Kirk by the way." Kirk says, to which the boy replies with, "It's nice to meet you Kirk, I'm Hugo if it's any concern." Before quieting down entirely. The camera stops on the back row, the man behind it taking a seat in an empty chair located on an empty row. He turns it's attention to outside of the van, capturing footage of the British countryside. The countryside stretched before him like a great quilt of golden, brown and green squares held together by the thick green stitching of the hedgerows. It rose and fell like giant waves on a gentle ocean and was dotted with animals. Occasionally there was a wood that separated the fields, or a farmhouse or barn. The extent of scenery slowly decrease as the bus edged closer to it's intended target. Now reduced to a minimal meadow in the early morning sunlight. There was a shallow ditch at edge of the meadow. The grass was thick and lush grass, growing in dense tussocks. The oak tree provided sun-flecked shade, a cool and refreshing respite from the mid-summer sun. The white umbrellas of cow parsley were becoming brown. The rutted track, once boggy was mud hardened and cracked. There was a narrow brook flowing through it choked with weeds. It then stopped, turning into small bungalows before increasing in size to houses then to shops then to factories. "We're now in London everyone, so we're not far off from Heathrow Airport from which we'll set off and depart for China!" Meg announces, reading off a small post-it note. The group of twelve cheer in jubilation. The city changes every few minutes on the journey; a few moments more and we are in suburbia, rows of uniform houses and neatly mowed lawns, each wide avenue draped in the seasonal reds and golds. the downtown flicking between affluence and poverty. There are streets of up-market stores, smooth black and glass exteriors, fancy names in fancier lettering. The kind of places with perfumed atmospheres made all the more inviting by music and well groomed subservient staff; exchanging their tokens of the upper class life for the swipe of a credit card. In moments they were passing the run-down pawn shops, the liquor stores and dingy supermarkets that are about as wide as two bowling lanes. The bus now reached a long stretch of open road, to the right side showed a huge building with planes taking off and landing, everyone watched as one plane landed, their eyes following it's every movement as it made it's descent back onto land. "Okay we're here. Now listen up, Heathrow is a huge place to get lost in and we have no time to waste if it's around a nine hour flight. If you get lost and we can't find you by the time our plane is ready to take off, then we're going to leave you here, understood? You need to stay as one big group, pretend we're all friends heading out to China on a leap year from college or something." Meg suggests pausing for a moment as she reads through the procedures set by producers, "Also, the most important rule of all is that you must not talk to anyone about what you're actually doing. You cannot say you're all apart of the cast of Outlast's sequel. It's all in the confidentiality agreement just like when you signed to not say where you placed to anyone after filming had finished, okay?" She looks around at the group, watching as they nod in response, "Let's go then!" Meg finally says as the group cheers, piling out of the bus and onto the pavement outside of the airport. There were plasma screens of arrival and departure times on the wall of the airport. People were lined up at the check in desk with suitcases and baggage. There was a sculpture of a whale with water cascading from it's mouth and flowing down it's tail flukes. In the background soft classical music played. In the arrivals lounge there was a curious mixture of bored and excited people. Some looked like they were waiting for a bus, others like they were children; some lounged on the low comfy chairs and others bounced on their toes. After forty minutes of waiting, the group were at the front of the line to check in, "Hi there, I'm Meg McLeod, heading to China with these twelve people, sixteen including them three over there and myself." She states, pointing directly at the camera, indicating the crew behind the camera. "Not to seem rude but you stated confidentiality... Why are you filming if you want it a secret?" Gigi's mother asks, before being hushed by Meg who quickly shoved off the question - garnering stares from civilians around her, "Frank, turn it off now." Meg says to the man behind the camera, who shoves off the question and continues. "We have a private jet?" Meg whispers to the woman behind the marble counter, who then nods and smiles. She then does her work, clicking away on the computer for a few minutes before she prints out sixteen tickets and hands them to Meg. "Have fun in China and please remember to book with our airline in the future, thank you!" The woman says, re-adjusting her orange Ascot tie before changing her attitude and maliciously shouting 'next' for the people behind the cast to move forward. Meg checks the arrivals/departures on the plasma screen, watching out for the private jet to China to appear. When it does she checks the time on her watch before panicking, "Okay guys we need to go now, we have ten minutes to get to terminal three." She says, causing an uproar of pandemonium. The camera then cuts to static, switching between footage of running feet and mumbled screams that are unable to decipher. It then stops when they arrive. They form an orderly queue, checking in and boarding the plane, "Can you stop filming please? You do realise you can't film when the plane is taking off." The man behind the podium says, taking the ticket and passport from the cameraman before ripping one of it's edges - he still continues to film as he makes his way down the jet bridge and onto the plane, capturing the reactions of everyone as they look at the interior in astonishment. The airplane had the look of a billionaire's private jet. There were no rows of seats, only the most elegant leather couches and coffee tables with ornate cabriole legs. There were plush curtains at the windows and a plasma screen as large as a movie theatre. "We weren't going to travel for nine hours in economy class, you all won your spot on the show, so you deserve to be treated like royalty, pardon my phrase Jacquelyn..." Meg says, giggling as Jacquelyn glares at her, "...before we throw you into the wilderness of Jiuzhaigou Valley to fend for yourself. It's common courtesy I should think. Plus it allows me to lay down the basic rules of the show as well as allow you all to use the confessional in one of the toilets as means of introducing yourself properly to the audience... But for the first few hours enjoy yourself!" Meg announces, watching as applause and acclaim is heard. A time-lapse is shown on screen, skipping through two hours worth of footage that showed the twelve contestants sat watching Total Drama Island, eating snacks or disappearing to make an introductory confessional. A montage of confessionals from half of the cast is then shown. (CONFESSIONAL) Kirk: "Hi there, my name is Kirk and I actually live within the Appalachian trial in a small and close-knit community that has very rare contact with the outside world, so in all fairness I'm pretty screwed in this game. But does it really matter? I'm doing it for my country! USA, USA, USA!" Kirk howls, pausing for a moment, "If you're watching this I'm playing if for you guys back at camp! Then if I win we can get that gigantic satellite dish so we can finally hack into the Pentagon and expose the government trash for who they really are. We need to rid our pristine country of all them-" His sentence is cut off short to prevent any controversy that could spring up from his highly-offensive views. (CONFESSIONAL) Jacquelyn: "Oh my gosh, finally... Do you understand how many auditions it took me before I was actually accepted onto the show? Eight! Eight auditions to prove my worth because the producers thought I wasn't good enough due to being royalty and possibly bathing in riches... Do they not understand that I grew up on a council estate in a two bedroom flat with barely any money to buy basic necessities? I had nothing to tide me over whilst my disgusting excuse for a mother, you know, Princess Anne, the one that looks like a horse, is sat in whatever castle she owns indulging herself in whatever she wants when she wants. I sure do hope that the pity vote works because I am not athletically capable for a game like this, I need to solely rely on my social ability to further myself otherwise I'm fodder." She re-adjusts her plastic tiara that still had the price tag that read 'reduce to clear' on it. (CONFESSIONAL) Benedict: "What's up? My names Benedict." He pauses for a moment, flexing his biceps for the camera before removing his shirt to show off his pectoral muscles and abs. "Do you like that? What? Why am I asking, of course you do... Anyway as you can tell, I am utter perfection and eye candy for the girls and guys, I don't know, I swing both ways." He winks, "But yeah I think I'm going to be the competition threat, possibly have an immunity streak and not get beat down like Travis did in the first season. I will not be Outlasted by girls! That is my fear on the show anything else I can take on in a blink of an eye, but if my weakness is the gorgeous ladies, like Simone and Paisley were, not much so Viola but still, I don't think I'd be able to show my face around the gym back home ever again..." He folds his arms that tense up his muscles, he sits back and just stares down the camera lens before it quickly switches to the next person. (CONFESSIONAL) Wallace: "My names Wallace! I don't really think there's much to say about me since I'm not interesting in the slightest but I was forced to do one of these introductory confessionals so here goes... I am a sheltered boy living under the household of very overly-protective parents who would not let me do anything. Their perspective on life is that the glass is half empty, anything and everything negative could happen which is why I'm so sheltered from stuff outside of my own home. That is literally the only reason I joined, freedom and liberation!" He lets out a slight chuckle before calming himself, "I'm scared of what's to come in China, like I hadn't even heard of the country until we actually got to the airport, that's how low-key I should keep my knowledge, everything is propaganda and false information... I never knew parents could be that cruel to go out of their way to feed their own child poorly conceived and incorrect statistics." He shrugs it off, exiting the confessional after waving goodbye at the camera attached to the door. (CONFESSIONAL) Erika: "Is it running, 'cause y'all I think I'm going to need some screen tests beforehand so I can get my television look in check, ya' know what I'm sayin'? Okay, good..." Erika pauses, pretending to talk to people behind the camera, even though none of the production crew is with her, "How's y'all doin'? My name is Erika, from Bedford-Stuyvesant born and raised!" She wags her finger at the camera, "I signed up for the show to benefit my fiancé and our young son. I plan to back-stab and strategize and I will do anything to get my own way in the game - I need the million pounds and even if someone else is more deserving, I'll do everything in my power to make sure it's mine and only mine!" She says, tugging on her fringe so that her weave moves down so that the hair is touching the tip of her eyebrows. (CONFESSIONAL) Hugo: "Oh hey, I'm Hugo, the typical rebellious teen boy, of course..." He laughs with a devilish grin on his face, "Do you see this? This is the Book of the Dead and I plan to unleash all of it's hell onto earth, as Satan intended but never got the chance. You see, he was trapped in hell when he went against God's will in the early days of creation, well that's what I heard from my brotherhood but it was good enough reasoning to go against the despicable man. I can't believe my parents are worshippers of his malarkey, he is not pure and you must certainly not live the way he did, killing people who didn't follow his order? Yeah you never heard that of him did you, but it's true... Everything detailed in this book and more, I plan to unveil all I've learned whilst playing the game and then work my way towards the million pound cash prize." He claps his hands together glares at the camera before it quickly switches back to the seating area before things get too awkward for the audience. "Ah, Hugo, quickly take a seat, I'm about to run through what's going to happen when we get to China, in particular Jiuzhaigou Valley and how the game will pan out." Meg begins, watching as the boy takes the book in his hands and places it in the rucksack he brought on the plane before taking a seat in an empty chair. Meg then proceeds to picking up a remote before the eighteenth episode of Total Drama Island is interrupted with a slide show, "This is the destination; Jiuzhaigou Valley. A pristine and lush National Park in the heart of Sichuan, China. We will need to bear in mind that people do actually live within the park, but if we see one of the villages we must not make contact with them since we actually haven't asked them to film but the Chinese government instead. So if they see you there, they'll suggest tourists but other than that you can roam anywhere in your section of the park. When we get there, the twelve of you will be split into two teams of six, either Zhāngyú which means Octopus or Xióngmāo which means Panda." She pauses on a slideshow that holds two separate pictures of the animals. "Xióngmāo will be situated in the Zechawa Valley and Zhāngyú will be situated in the Shuzheng Valley." Meg shows the difference between the two, Shuzheng being less appealing in comparison to Zechawa's rich variety of vivid colours and painted landscapes. "As for the twists, now, the majority of writers for this season are new due to the episodes being created by the people at Fresh TV in comparison to CBS who sorted out budgeting, casting, location and challenge structures. The first twist I'll start off with is the 'Dismissal Ritual' which is basically a renamed Tribal Council or Bonfire Ceremony. This is the typical elimination ceremony that takes place after a winner of a challenge has been determined and a three day period has past since the elimination beforehand - if there was an elimination beforehand." She stops for a moment, allowing the group to take in all of the information. "By the way, there are five major twists this season, created especially for you to make sure that you suffer- I mean, enjoy yourself whilst in dire need of assistance... Anyway, the next twist is 'Atonement Skerry' which happens only once in the game. It happens after four contestants have been eliminated from the game. The four who have just been eliminated will compete in a challenge that will determine only one winner, with that person being safe, whereas the others who lost the duel will be eliminated from the game for good - but the winner being granted a pass to return back into the game. Are you all following what I'm saying right now? Questions, queries, concerns?" Meg asks rhetorically as hands immediately shoot into the air before she quickly changes the topic. "Next up, there is the 'Ephemeral Exile' which will happen every three days like the challenge and Dismissal Ritual. Ephemeral Exile is when a contestant will be removed from the group for a short period of time, where they will spend time in solitude on a different part of Jiuzhaigou Valley. This however will give them the opportunity to search for the Impunity Hei-Tiki. With the Impunity Hei-Tiki being the next twist/item on the list! This feature will happen only once in the game, which shall involve three Hei-Tiki necklaces being released into the game, hidden around the national park. A person who finds the Impunity Hei-Tiki, will be allowed to protect themselves from elimination, however, it can only be used once." Meg stops once again, looking at all of the shocked and bewildered expressions being forced upon her. She shrugs after silence fills the seating area, looking down the list of things on the sheet of paper attached to the clipboard. She switches the slide on the plasma screen television which changes to the final twist. "Ah, yes. 'Spontaneous Expulsion'!" Meg stops, allowing the gasps and questionable murmurs to arise, "The final twist is the most important and possibly more feared of all... It will happen at any given point when Meg, a.k.a. myself, chooses to allow it. Although it can only happen twice throughout the entire game, after a challenge, the winner will be given the option to auto-eliminate a fellow player that will send them straight to Atonement Skerry." The group of twelve exchange shocked glances before returning their attention to Meg after she smacks her hand on the clipboard, "That's it for now, enjoy the rest of your flight and I'll re-join you when we land in China!" She leaves and switches off the slideshow which allows episode eighteen of Total Drama Island to resume it's run through. The camera then follows Soleil into the toilet area where she begins her introductory confessional. This then kicks off a chain of videos from the remaining six contestants in the cast. (CONFESSIONAL) Soleil: "Wait, wait, let me restart, my eyeliner is running!" She screams, trying to delete the recording on the camera taped to the restroom door. After a few minutes of re-adjusting her makeup with the aid of the mirror besides her that hangs against the wall and above the wash basin. "Okay I'm ready... Hi guys, it's Soleil here, also known as the Prestigious Princess back in Oxford! I signed up for Outlast to see how well I'll do on my own and out on foreign soil, it's something I've never done but I've always had a dream of doing... I mean, even though internet shopping and trash talking on social media about other girls' appearance and damaging their self-esteem is my life, I need a different hobby or something that can at least keep me entertained for the summer! Thankfully, I was cast and here I am, gracing your television screens with beauty." She snorts as she laughs an extremely unattractive laugh before ending the confessional. (CONFESSIONAL) Fritz: "Good afternoon, my name is Fritz!" He pauses, the camera cutting between takes of him screwing up his words he prepared on a small note sheet, "I've been bullied my entire life, the fact that my IQ exceeds that of my body mass doesn't necessarily benefit. I'm a social outcast and I rarely communicate with others my age unless it's via a chatroom on World of Warcraft's in-game system or on it's Wikia. I seclude myself in my basement bedroom, isolating myself from the outside world... My parents are the only reason I'm competing on the show, they want me to be 'rejuvenated' so that when I 'return to civilisation I will be a normal teenager who is sociable and relatively active' quote, unquote. It's highly unlikely, but if my parent's want me to then I guess I could try... Wait, I think I've seen a spell for it in my book!" He stops and pulls a large hardback book with embroidered stitching on the spine's seam, from his robe. Fritz is shown searching the index for the word 'reverse' before coming across a spell, "The magic upon me, be trapped this night, between these mirrors, never see light." He stops, receiving no reaction, "Ugh, typical..." He rolls his eyes as he stands and exits. (CONFESSIONAL) Ajax: "Would you really want to come across me in this game? No you wouldn't, you have no clue how I was brought up. Living off of the state in a small house with four siblings and a mother who brings home dirty drunkards and drug addicts from every corner of the rough neighbourhood I grew up on... She fell ill when I was young which left me with looking after my brothers and sister, the income we were receiving was keeping the majority starving which is why I turned to a life of crime, you get me?" He asks rhetorically, using hand gestures to express his point in detail, "It wasn't anything major, more like loafs of bread or a pint of milk. But then it became an addiction and the items I was stealing was increasing in size and value. Yeah I've spent some time in prison, but what does that matter? I managed to secure a place on a reality show and I'm pretty sure that that means they pity me, which they should. They don't understand, I desperately need the money, not only for myself, but for my family." He takes off his snapback and splashes his face with cold water from the tap, the screen cuts to static before re-opening on a young girl. (CONFESSIONAL) Gigi: "Mummy, can you see that camera? What is it doing there?" The small girl begins, her mother stood besides her, aiding her whilst she washes her hands with soap, "Oh I think Meg wanted you to introduce yourself to the audiences back at home, Gigi." Her mother replies, before Gigi then begins to talk about herself, "Hello! My name is Gigi and I am nine years old, closing in on ten at Christmas time! I hope to be entertaining for the audiences back at home, hi Daddy!" She shouts, hoping for a response, "Wait, isn't there people inside the camera?" Gigi asks as she looks up towards her mother who replies with 'No dear', "Oh..." Gigi says before unlocking the door and running out of the toilet and back to her seat where Cuddles sits. (CONFESSIONAL) Ramsay: "Hello, peasants. My name is Ramsay and that is the only thing you'll address me as. I signed up for Outlast: The Paradise Edition for the million pounds up for grab and none of the BS attached to it. I plan on wreaking havoc this season and I do intend on receiving the title of antagonist along the way. Why you may ask? Well I think I deserve the prize fund so I can pay off my college tuition, these things don't come cheap you know." She pauses, pushing against her afro so that it becomes frizzier and bigger to the eye. "Also back in Manchester I'm surrounded by basic people on a daily basis. Where are the unique people with colourful personalities? Luckily, I'm surrounded by them, diverse in ethnicity and temperament, I actually think I may enjoy this experience." She folds her arms, glaring down the lens for a moment before exiting. (CONFESSIONAL) Lana: "Hey guys, I'm Lana! I'm originally from Lake Placid before I escaped to London after my personal life just went into a downward spiral which ultimately ended with me dependent on alcohol because everything was perfect and then shattered in a blink of an eye. Basically, I'm a musician and I was offered a $10,000 contract, but due to scheduling conflicts and the initial recording studio going defunct, my album was shelved." She gets a little teary-eyed, quickly wiping it away with her left hand, "The only thing I wish from this experience is that I can showcase my skills and get notice by producers in the music business. The million pounds could cut four albums for me, but getting noticed if I actually perform on the television is an easier option in hindsight. That may be perceived as egotistical but it's something I need, I live for music, do you realise how damaging losing the record deal was? No, so please, don't judge at first glance..." A smile graces her lips as she grabs her hair and pulls it around so it drops down one side of her body, she then leaves. Lana walks out of the restroom, being trailed by Meg with whom she exchanges a quick smile. "Meg? Wait, does this mean we're here!?" Ramsay asks, her excitement exceeding the length of the room. Meg nods in response, "Take a look outside the window, we're actually flying over the National Park right now..." Meg says as everyone rushes to an individual window, peering out of them simultaneously. Meg commentates as the plane flies over, "Stretching over 72,000 ha in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 4,800 m, thus comprising a series of diverse forest ecosystems. Its superb landscapes are particularly interesting for their series of narrow conic karst land forms and spectacular waterfalls. Some 140 bird species also inhabit the valley, as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the giant panda and the Sichuan takin." She reads from a sheet, stopping for a moment before continuing with more information. "The best known features are the large number of lakes in the area: many are classic ribbon lakes, at the base of glacially formed valleys, which have been dammed naturally, for example behind rock falls from avalanches. Processes of carbonate deposition are responsible for the cementation and stabilization of these dams. A number of the lakes are bounded on the upstream and downstream sides by calcareous tufa dykes and shoals." Meg once again stops allowing the group to look down at the valley which flies over the beautiful Five-Colour Pond that display shades of various greens, yellows, blues and oranges, "Hopefully that's enough back-story and information for you all, enjoy the view, we'll be arriving in Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport shortly!" Meg announces before leaving and heading towards the cockpit, taking a seat behind the pilots. "That's all we have time on the first episode... Be sure to check back next time to see what will happen when we split the twelve contestants into either the tribe of Zhāngyú or Xióngmāo, plus with the first challenge guaranteed to cause a rift between every single contestant, who will also fall at the first hurdle and become the first person out of this game? Drama, façades and subterfuge will return in the coming episodes of… Outlast: The Paradise Edition! This is your host, Meg McLeod, signing off!" She announces as the camera zooms out for a wide shot of the airplane flying above Jiuzhaigou Valley before being engulfed by clouds, the camera then cuts to static.